Process of recovering waste alcohol from liquor casks or barrels.



A. BERG. PROCESS OF BBUOVEBING WASTE ALCOHOL FROM LIQUOR GASKS 0RBABBELS.

APPLICATION FILED HOV. 23.1908.

Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

dzezzder Beg,

Non-Fens "EI'ERS co.,wAsnmc1un.n.c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER BERG, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

PROCESS OF RECOVTRIN'G ALGGHG'L To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER BERG, a citizen of the United States, andresident of St. Louis, Missouri, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in a Process of Recovering Waste Alcohol from Liquor Casksor Barrels, of whicl'i the following is a specification containing afull, clear, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to a process of recovering Waste alcohol fromliquor casks or barrels, my object being to extract and recover by a simle and expeditious process the alcohol which remains in the pores andthe cells of the inner surfaces of casks and barrels which have beenemptied of their contents, and which rocess involves the generation ofsteam within the cask or barrel, and the ap plication of a coolingmedium to the exterior surface of the cask or barrel to revent thewarping of the cask or barrel during the carrying out of the process.

In order that my improved process may be more readily understood,reference may be had to the accompan ing drawings, in which:

Fi ure 1 is an en elevation of a cask or barre located in an apparatusutilized in connection with my im roved process; Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of tffe barrel and apparatus with arts in vertical section.

Referrmg by numerals to the accompanying drawings: 1 designates a pan orreceptacle, above which is supported the cask or barrel 2, from whichthe alcohol is to be recovered, and located in the bung hole of the caskor barrel is a screw-threaded bung or plug 3, in the center of which isseated a small open-ended tube 4, which leads upward and discharges intothe upper portion of a tank 5, provided in its up er end with an outlet6, controlled by a va ve 7, and also provided in its lower end with anoutlet valve 8.

Leading to and through the plug 3, from a suitable source of steam suply, is a pipe 9, which extends downward tlirough the plug, and formedin said pipe is a coil 10, Which, when the plug is properly seated inthe bung hole of a cask or barrel occu ies a position in the lowerportion of the cas or barrel, and from this coil 10 the ipe extendsupward and out through the p ug or bung 3.

Arranged above and adjacent the ends of the cask or barrel are pipes 11,which are Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 23, 1908.

FRSM LEQUGR GASKS GR BARRELS.

Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

Serial No. 464,100.

perforated in such a manner as that when water is delivered to andthrough said pipes it will discharge from the perforations onto theupper ortion and ends of the cask or barrel, and W1 1 finally dischargeinto the tank or receptacle 1.

In carrying out my improved process, a small amount of water is locatedin the cask or barrel, after which the screw plug or bung 3, carryingthe pipe 9, is inserted in the bung hole of the cask or barrel, with thecoil 10 submerged in the water within said cask or barrel. Steam is nowturned on through the pipe 9, and as the coil 10 is submerged beneaththe water within the cask or barrel, the steam in passing through saidcoil will heat and vaporize the water within the cask or barrel, and theresulting vapor will fill said cask or barrel, thus coming in contactwith the entire inner surface thereof, and said steam will volatilizethe alcohol contained in the ores and cells in the wood of which the casor barrel is formed, and the steam carrying this volatilized alcoholwill finally discharge through the tube 4 into the tank 5. This tankperforms the function of a condensing chamber, inasmuch as the steam andvolatilized alcohol are condensed in said tank, from whence they may bewithdrawn as desired and further treated to sepa rate the alcohol fromthe water of condensation.

The steam generated within the cask or barrel necessarily heats the sameto a high degree and as a result there is a tendency of the wood formingthe cask or barrel to warp or twist, thus rendering said cask or barrelunfit for further use, and to overcome this tendency to warp, I apply acooling medium in the form of water thrown onto the ex tcrior surface ofthe cask or barrel by means of the )crforated pipes 11, which actionthoroughly cools the entire exterior surface of the cask or barrel, andthus counteracts any tendency of the wood in said cask or barrel towarp.

My improved process can be verycheaply and expeditiously carried out,and the alcohol contained in the inner surface of a cask or barrel isreadily and cheaply recovered without injury to the cask or barrel, orwithout rendering the same unfit for further use.

1. The herein described process of recovering waste alcohol from liquorcasks and barrels, consisting in locating a quantity of water within thecask or barrel, heeting said water to such a degree as to generatesteam, conducting the steam and Volatilized fluid carried thereby to acondensin tank, and simultaneously dischargin a 000 ing medium onto theexterior surface 0 the cask or barrel.

2. The herein described recess of recovering waste alcohol from iquorcasks and barrels, consisting in generating a suflicient quantity ofsteam within the cask or barrel to permeate the entire inner surface ofsaid cask or barrel, and simultaneously applying a cooling medium to theexterior surface of the cask or barrel.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my J5 Witnesses M. P. SMITH, E. L.VVALLAOF.

